Funky fashion. As hilarious as this would be, it's just not true.
However, some of the truly "funky/crazy" or better put, uniquely Japanese fads are not commonly known outside of Japan (at least not in the US). Since being in Japan I have discovered the Japanese obsession with themed cafes, which as crazy as they are seem to attract very little attention, since I had never heard of them prior to this visit. I am differentiating here between the word cafe and restaurant because I know there are numerous other countries who have themed restaurants. The themed cafes here can hardly be compared to anything I have ever experienced before. So what kind of themed cafes are there? And what do they offer?
Cat Cafe/Dog Cafe
In order to enter the cat cafe you must pay the 1,000yen entrance fee (about $10). And much like the name suggests, Cat cafes are devoted to cats! Within the cafe there are between 15-20 gorgeous pedigreed cats lounging around for you to pet and play with (assuming they are willing to oblige you). Aside from playing with the cats like any cafe there is a menu offering food and drinks, all named in a cat fashion. I myself haven't visited one of these but a number of my friends have. Here are some photos from their trip.
Cats and cat themed things everywhere!!!
The Dog Cafe is a little different from that of the Cat cafe. Unlike the cat cafe there are no actual dogs in the cafe. Instead it is a cafe where you go to with your dog. I know many people in America tend to go to lunch and bring their dog with them and I know I said these cafes are unlike anything in America, so trust me it gets weirder (not obscenely weird, just different). Okay, so at the Dog cafe you can order food and a cappuccino for yourself, turns out you can also order a puppychino and little bone shaped treats for wo/man's best friend as well! After enjoying your meal together dog and owner can play together with a variety of dog toys offered at the cafe, or even attend a small obedience class (only offered at select cafes)
Christian Cafe (or Christon Cafe as the Japanese call it)
Christon cafe is a church themed cafe. No there are not priests or nuns walking around this cafe, but the decor and menu revolves around the theme of Christianity. The dining area is decorated with giant crucifixes, gargoyles and images of a bloodied Christ weeping on the cross. The menu includes such fare as the "Small Devil" cocktail flavored with strawberry cream and cassis, and "God-made Hamburger".
Butler/Maid cafes
Ok, so I'm mostly going to focus on talking about the Butler cafe because I went to one. Anyway, so as one of our field trips for my Japanese pop culture class we went to a butler cafe. The most popular butler cafe's tend to be ones with foreign butlers (aka Caucasians, but other ethnicities too). So what is a butler cafe? Well I guess the best way to describe one is that it is a place where you (ladies mostly, but gentlemen too) get treated like royalty. In fact, upon entering the cafe I was greeted with, "welcome my princess". hehehe. I failed at suppressing my laughter. The particular butler cafe we visited didn't have an entrance fee per say, but you were required to order at least one drink and one food item. And since these items aren't cheap the price tends to be around $15-20. Aside from the food and beverage menu there is an additional special princess menu where you can order (I forget the princessy themed names for most of them but... here we go) a drink (alcoholic) which I guess the butlers make especially for you (special mixes) based on your personality ($10). Or you can order a photo opp. with your favorite butler ($5), a deluxe photo opp. where the butler of your choice picks you up in his arms ($10), or something called cinderella time (or something like that) where all of the butlers in the cafe will each put on a special performance for you ($20), for Japanese customers they can also order an english lesson ($30). Being broke college students none of us paid for these extras. But anyway, the butlers give you a special bell for your table to ring whenever you require their service. Upon hearing the ring they will all say, "yes my princess" and come over to see what you require. As it turns out the butlers will also escort you to and from the bathroom. (the boys do not get this special treatment but
they are called prince)
Japanese women tend to frequent these due to their penchant for foreign men. Also they like being served for a change since they spend all of their day taking care of the husband, the kids, the house, etc.
Photos!
My princess pancakes
Maid cafes are pretty similar, there are girls dressed in cute maid outfits. You are also able to pay for photos with the maids, or pay to have them play card games with you. These cafes attract a lot of Otaku (super intense Japanese manga nerds). The maids are actually really cute (so my friends tell me who have gone) and do weird "Japanese cute" dances and make strange cute gestures and wishes over your food when they bring it to you.
Photos! (courtesy of Alex)
Cute maid cafe pancakes
Photo with their maid
1 comment:
Oshima looks really nice, much more modern than what your Mom grew up in. Maybe u can get Oshima to put up a Xmas-style cell tower on that mountain.
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